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“Stay here.” I roll down all the windows and pull my keys out of the ignition. Someone’s beaten me to pick up Rainey every day for the last two months. Seeing her still sitting in this heat is concerning.
I greet the teacher, apologizing for my lateness, and I inquire if she knows if anyone’s on the way to give Rainey a ride home.
“No, and I’m getting a little worried. Her aunt’s usually already here waiting when we release the kids in the afternoon. The school hasn’t heard from her since she dropped Rainey off this morning, so we’re not sure what’s going on.”
Something doesn’t feel right, but I’m not sure it’s my business to stick my nose into. “What happens if no one comes to get her?”
She looks at the smartwatch on her wrist. “It’s close to 4 p.m. I’ll wait another half an hour, but if no one picks her up, I’ll have to call the cops to report it. They’ll take her to the station until they can reach her aunt.”
Rainey will never see the inside of a police station again if I can help it. “Can I take her?” I know the teacher remembers I picked my daughter and Rainey up together for most of the school year.
“Um, let me check with the office to see if you’re still listed as an emergency contact.” I plop down and wait, keeping watch on Maggie in my car as I tell Rainey jokes.
The teacher pops her head out of the front door. “You’re good to take her. We still have signed permission from Noah that she can be released to you.”
She never revoked my permission. Does she hold out hope for us, too? The thought enters my brain, but vanishes quickly when I reach out for Rainey’s hand and walk her to my car.
I call Noah twice and leave voicemails on our way to her home, but she’s not answering. She probably doesn’t want to hear from me. I’m halfway to her house when I remember I don’t have a key anymore. If she’s not home, I resolve to take Rainey home with me.
Just like at school, I roll down the windows and leave both girls in the car while I ring Noah’s doorbell. After releasing the button, I listen for signs she’s inside. It could take a minute for her to reach the door if she’s upstairs. I jam my thumb against the button several more times, but she never answers.
I poke my head inside the back window on Maggie’s side of my car. “Ladies, can you give me a minute? I’ll be right back, okay? Stay put.”
“Where’s Noah?” Rainey asks, casting a strong stink eye in my direction.
“Probably stuck at work. I’m waiting for her to call me back. Just stay in the car.” They grumble, but return to their game of rock, paper, scissors.
I hustle around the side of her brick home and unlatch the gate for the wooden fence. Thank God it’s not one of those you can only open from the inside. I peep in the window, praying none of the neighbors are watching—I know this doesn’t look good. From my view through the small kitchen window, I don’t see Noah, but nothing appears out of place.
I move to the much larger living room window, cupping my hands around my face and pressing it to the glass. Everything looks normal. She’s probably stuck in a client meeting and lost track of time. I pull my cell out of my back pocket and try her number again.
I’m hanging up when I hear a phone ringing inside of Noah’s house. I immediately call back and press my ear to the glass to see if I can determine what room her phone might be in. It sounds like it’s coming from the dining room, which doesn’t have a window. I strain my eyes against the corner of the living room window, angling my neck and squinting to check out as much of the dining room as possible.
When I sweep my eyes across the visible part of the dining room floor, a body comes into view, but the legs are all I can make out with my limited line of sight.
My stomach lurches and I run for the backdoor, calling 911 as I beat against the door and jiggle the doorknob as hard as I can. It’s locked. I piece together sentences for the operator, but grow frustrated that someone’s not here to help me yet. A big rock in the yard catches my eye and I pound it against the living room window. The operator hears the thumping and requests I stop—an ambulance and the police are only 2 minutes away.
It’s too late—my last blow to the window breaks part of the glass and cuts me. With blood dripping down my fingers, I rush to the front of the house to flag down the emergency vehicles. I don’t want the girls to see me bleeding, so I hide my hand while I check on them.
Maggie’s giggling as I approach the car, but Rainey misses nothing and instantly points out the blood on my shirt.
“I’m fine,” I lie. “I went around back to knock on the door, but I tripped and fell into the living room window. I broke it.” Lying to her makes me feel as good as garbage, but I know she doesn’t need the truth. “I called 911. They’ll be here in a few minutes to look at my hand.” More lies.
“We’ll let them check me out and then maybe we can go visit Claire and Rufus until your aunt calls me.” The sirens echo up the street.
I don’t know the cop who pulls in before the ambulance. I jog toward him, waving wildly to grab his attention. He’s on his radio, but I’m forceful. “Hey.” I snap. “I have two kids in the car. I don’t want them to see or hear any of this, got it? They think you’re here to look at my hand.”
The officer looks down and sees the blood still dripping from my hand and nods. The EMTs pull their emergency equipment from the back of the ambulance and start toward the front door. “Around back,” I demand.
A second and third cruiser pull into the middle of the street. There’s no way the girls think all of this is for a cut. Paul throws the door back from his vehicle and he’s across the street faster than I’d have bet he could move.
“Get the kids,” I beg, “They’re in my car. Get them out of here and make sure they don’t know what’s happening.”
“Give me your keys.” He yanks them out of my hand, hops in my car, and drives away with the girls.
With all pressure to hold myself together removed, I collapse onto my knees, smearing the blood still slowly trickling from my hand all over me.
Chapter 34
